Atomic Element · Free
Matching blog posts appear under the search box as visitors type, and they can narrow them by category or date. Free on Elementor Free, built as a native Elementor 4 element.
The short answer
The Elementor AJAX search form from Animation Addons is the Search Form element: an Elementor 4 Atomic Element that shows matching blog posts as visitors type. It adds optional category and date filters and works inline, as a header dropdown or as a full-screen overlay. Each part (input, button, filters, results, icons) is its own styleable child.
Running a shop or a custom post type? The live dropdown will not list those entries yet; pressing Enter still runs a full WordPress search. The Search Form is a real Atomic Element, not a classic v3 widget running inside Elementor 4.
| Plan | Free |
|---|---|
| Element type | Native Elementor 4 Atomic Element (composite) |
| Works with | Elementor Free and Elementor Pro, Atomic Editor on |
| Panel location | AAE Form category |
| Modes | Inline, Dropdown (opens Left or Right), Full Screen |
| Live results | Blog posts only (the post type), up to 10, each with thumbnail, title and date |
| Full results page | A normal WordPress search, with the category and date filters applied |
| Filters | Post categories; date presets Today, Yesterday, This week, This month, or a From/To range |
| Child elements | Search Toggle (Open Icon, Close Icon), Search Panel, Search Field, Search Input, Date Filter, Category Filter, Search Submit, Search Results |
| Limits | Live results do not include pages, WooCommerce products or custom post types |
| Plugin version | Animation Addons for Elementor 4.3 · Last updated October 2026 |
Demo variations
Ideas you can build today with the Search Form and native Elementor 4 elements. Cards marked Pro add an Animation Addons Pro extension or element; the rest work on the free plugin.
A header search icon opens a dark full-screen overlay with a large input; matching articles appear below as the reader types.
A wide rounded search bar in the page hero with a "Course" dropdown beside it (Breakfast, Mains, Desserts) and a "Find recipes" button.
A slim bar above the news list with a date dropdown (Today, Yesterday, This week, This month, From/To) and a category dropdown.
A search icon at the end of the menu opens a compact right-aligned card with journal posts as results.
A compact search box at the top of the sidebar with an icon-only button; live results drop down in a narrow list under it.
On phones, the slide-in menu opens with a search field at the top and live article results under it.
Features
Every option below is a real control in the Search Form panel or part of how the element renders. Nothing here needs custom code.
Turn on Enable Ajax Live Search and up to 10 matching blog posts appear under the field after a short pause in typing, each with thumbnail, title and date. "No results found." shows when nothing matches.
Inline keeps the bar visible. Dropdown hides it behind a search icon and opens a floating panel aligned Left or Right; clicking outside closes it. Full Screen opens a full-viewport overlay. Escape closes both.
Enable Search Filter adds a category dropdown (with "All Categories", Clear and Apply) and a date dropdown with presets or a custom range. Both apply to live results and to the full results page.
The input, button, filters, results box and open/close icons are separate atomic children with their own Style panels. Set the button to Icon or Text and write your own Placeholder.
Enter or the button submits a regular WordPress search to your results page, filters included, ready for Search Query to label.
Show Panel In Editor reveals the Dropdown or Full Screen panel on the canvas while you work, without changing the live site.
Built on the atomic base
Why it mattersYou style the search with your Classes and Variables, not a widget's fixed options. Rows inside the filter dropdowns use a neutral built-in style.
Step by step
Six steps, from installing the plugin to publishing the page. The bold names are the exact labels you will see in the Elementor 4 panel.
Download freeInstall and activate Animation Addons for Elementor, then open your header template or page with the Atomic Editor on.
From AAE Form in the Elements panel, drag Search Form into place.
In Settings, pick Mode and, for Dropdown, Dropdown Position.
Turn on Enable Ajax Live Search. For filters, turn on Enable Search Filter and choose Show Category Filter and Show Date Filter.
Turn on Show Panel In Editor, style each part from the Navigator, then turn it off.
Publish, type a few words on the live site, and check the full results page.
Honest comparison
What each option has, side by side. We list where the other choice is the better fit, too.
| Feature | Elementor Pro Search Form / Search | Animation Addons Search Form |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Elementor Pro | Free, works on Elementor Free |
| Element type | Classic widgets | Native Elementor 4 Atomic Element |
| Layouts | Classic, Minimal and Full Screen skins | Inline, Dropdown (left or right) and Full Screen |
| Live AJAX results | Yes, in the Search widget, with a Loop Item template and a choice of posts, products, pages and more | Yes, blog posts, up to 10 |
| Category and date filters | Not documented | Yes, carried to the results page |
| Every part a styleable child element | No | Yes |
Compared with Elementor 4.3.3 (September 2026).
If you need live product or page results, Elementor Pro's Search widget covers more content types today. The Search Form is the free, atomic choice for blogs and news sites, with filters Elementor does not document.
Who it's for
The people who get the most out of it, and what they use it for.
Who want fast article search in the header.
Organised by category.
Where readers search by date.
FAQ
Install the free Animation Addons for Elementor plugin, drag the Search Form element from the AAE Form category into your page or header, and turn on Enable Ajax Live Search. Matching blog posts appear under the field as visitors type. The Animation Addons Search Form runs on Elementor Free with the Atomic Editor on.
The Animation Addons Search Form's live results cover blog posts (the WordPress post type), up to 10 at a time, each with featured image, title and date. Pages, WooCommerce products and custom post types are not in the live dropdown. Pressing Enter runs a normal WordPress search, so your full results page can still show them.
Not for live results yet. The Animation Addons Search Form's live dropdown lists blog posts only, so shoppers would not see products as they type. The full results page uses WordPress search, which can include products. For a shop, build that results page with the Loop Grid set to Current Query (Archive).
Yes. Set the Animation Addons Search Form's Mode to Dropdown to open a floating panel under the icon, aligned left or right, or to Full Screen for a full-viewport overlay. The open and close icons are separate elements, so you can replace them with your own SVGs and style them per breakpoint.
Yes. Turn on Enable Search Filter in the Animation Addons Search Form, then Show Category Filter, Show Date Filter or both. Visitors pick post categories or a date preset such as This week, or a custom From and To range. The filters apply to live results and to the full results page, where Search Query can display them.
The core search does. The Animation Addons Search Form's input and button are a standard WordPress search form with a search role and labelled input, so Enter loads your results page even if scripts fail. The search icon opens with Enter or Space and Escape closes the panel. Live results, filter dropdowns and the overlay modes need JavaScript.
No. The Animation Addons Search Form loads one small script and no stylesheet. Live search waits 300 milliseconds after typing stops before asking the server, and returns at most 10 posts, so it does not fire a request on every keystroke. Leave Enable Ajax Live Search off if you only want a plain search box.
More answers in the FAQ · Documentation · Free vs Pro
Pairs well with
Elements that work well with the Search Form on the same page or template.
The Search Form is free on Elementor Free, with live post results, filters and three layouts.
